25 Blogging Tips You Need To Learn Today

Blogging is a fun way to express your thoughts and a great way to share your passion. Success in blogging means hard work and a whole lot of patience. Like in any other field, success comes to those who are open to learning. The best way to improve your blogging skills is to tap into the knowledge from people who are already successful. The insights from people who have done it before is very valuable and has been tried and tested. Here are twenty five tips from twenty five bloggers you’ll probably want to implement today.

25. ” Write, write, and write some more.” – Andy Sowards

“I have been blogging for many years now and at first not so successfully If I could give one tip to anyone new to blogging it would be this: Write, write, and write some more. In the early days of blogging for me, I found writing hard – so I didn’t post as often as I should have at times, and I regret that. I spent a lot of time worrying about what people would think about my topic, or that someone else had covered it better, or any type of self doubt scenario you can think of. Staring at a blank page unable to write anything was a familiar setting.

Over the years though I did write more and more – every time I wrote an article I grew a little more – I found my voice a little more – I was able to think up great topics and research them a little better. Once you find your voice you will know it, and your audience will to. Engaging and connecting with your readers through your writing is crucial to growing an audience and standing out from the rest. These days writing is much easier for me and I actually enjoy writing a lot (and a few people have actually mentioned that they like it too. I enjoy being able to help inspire and teach people online through my writing, it is more than just a blog – its a passion! So keep writing, the internet needs you!”

24. “Blogging is fun but requires a lot of work” – A.R. Karthick

Blogging isn’t like taking a walk in the park. Even seasoned bloggers knew this. Posting frequency, getting/keeping readership, having constant flow of ideas, motivation/inspiration – are few vital things to take prime care of. You have to be passionate, persistent and at the same time, you have to stay versatile and let enough room for development. Blog on stuffs you find moving rather than emulating what others are doing. Whatever your niche, try to be unique as much as possible, give your blog a life, give it a voice, survive hard, and most importantly have fun too!

Utilize the social networks for good results. Concentrate on the big three: Twitter, Facebook, Google+. Connect with fellow bloggers, engage with them, and promote their content consistently to make your blog’s announcement. Reciprocity is the key here. Keep in mind, limit self-promotion. More over, Whether you blog 3 times/day or 1/week, always follow a schedule to let your readers know you’re here to stay. Forget SEO, for starters, priority should be on providing quality content.

23. “Write posts that only you can write” – Kerry Gorgone

The most helpful advice I’ve ever received as a blogger came from my friend and mentorMark Schaefer. I’d been writing regular posts as a columnist for him, and he was happy with them, but thought I could do more to distinguish myself as a writer. “You’re reporting,” he said, “and it’s great for my blog, but that’s not how you’ll make a name for yourself.” His challenge for me: “write posts that only you can write.” So I dug deep, and wrotea post on the dark side of social networking. It generated nearly 100 comments (the first of my posts to attract that kind of engagement), and people shared it all over the web.The New York Timeseven mentioned it! So, my advice for new bloggers is this: there’s only one you. Find your voice and your passion, then don’t be afraid to share it. Some people won’t like it, but that just means they’re not your audience. Be real. Be you. Be really you.

22. “Be yourself and just have fun” – Peg FitzPatrick

The best advice I learned when I was new was to not follow any of the blogging “rules.” I’m so glad took that advice. If there are blogging rules, I may break them all but I think doing things your own way is best. Don’t worry about hitting the publish button, just get started and get writing. I think people worry too much about getting started and give themselves writer’s block before they even start. Your blog might not be perfect when you start but cut yourself some slack and don’t compare yourself to more established blogs.Be original and have fun!

21. “Focus on headlines” – Jim Dougherty

My advice for a new blogger would be to focus on headlines. Writers spend so much time and energy focused on developing their distinctive voice and point-of-view yet many don’t stop to realize that readers won’t read their stuff.I’ll relate how I came to this realization: for the first six months that I was blogging I used an online tool that purported to measure the resonance of any given title. One day I wrote a rather matter-of-fact piece, brandished it with a rather matter-of-fact title and it had wider readership and reach than anything that I had done previously. I realized that by trying to finesse my titles, I wasn’t communicating succinctly or clearly about what the piece was about.

Now I rely on my intuition to craft clear headlines that will compel readers to click. I craft them first and sometimes won’t even write an article if I can’t generate interest with the headline I may not write the article. I know that I’ve written a compelling headline when people are responding to the headline on Twitter orFacebookwithout reading the article.

The number one tip I can give new bloggers is to create an outline before starting to actually write a new blog post. The outline should contain two things: what major result you want readers to receive from reading your post and then what points you address to help readers achieve this result.When you sit down to actually write your post, flesh out each point in as much detail as you need and then go back and write your introduction paragraph(s) and closing paragraph(s). From there, it becomes easier to create a title for your post too. Simply focus on the end result you want your readers to achieve. Following this structure will help you not only dramatically help you overcome writer’s block and decrease the time required to write an individual post but you’ll likely find the readability of your posts increases as well!

19. “A blog is not a sales platform” – Gabriella Sannino

Keep in mind a blog – even a company blog – shouldn’t be used as a sales platform. I understand some will use it to showcase their products, and services but ultimately it should play a supporting role in your online presence. I like keeping the tone on a personal level. Again you are not selling your services here; you should be introducing readers to your brand, company, and the people that are driving that brand.

I personally like to write the way I speak, in order to create conversations. One advice most newbies will ignore is responding to comments. Make sure the comments come from legitimate users and not spam. It’s hard to differentiate between the two, since they (spammers) have become pretty sophisticated. But take the time to look at the URL they are coming from. I know you want to approve all of them in order to look like your blog is popular…but don’t do it. In conclusion mix things up, don’t just write great content, make great videos, share great conversations, and keep it coming monthly. Don’t stop, it takes a while but very well worth your time!

18. “What questions do YOU need to ask” – Sandi McKenna

Just getting past the anxiety about â€˜Can I do this’ may the biggest hurdle you overcome when starting a blog. I assure you, you can do it. Everything from “Do I use WordPress theme or is Blogger the way to go” to “What is SEO” can be so overwhelming. But, none of that will matter if you don’t have a clear vision for your blog. Of course just about everything has been blogged about, so define your niche. What do you love? What is your passion?What do you know that sets you apart? And most importantly, what won’t you get bored with after a few months?

What do you want your blog to accomplish?

a) Do you want to inspire your readers? b) Do you want to educate them?c) Do you want to share your expertise?d) Is your goal to have fun or to make money?

How often will you post?

a) Once a week? b) Twice a week?c) What day? What time?

What will you post?

a) Short snippets and paragraphs? b) Photos and/or videosc) Will you have guest bloggers?

You get the idea. No matter what you decide above all else, you have to be consistent. Consistency is the holy grail of blogging.

17. “Create trust with your readers” – Marty McPadden

Edit your post before you hit the publish button. It doesn’t matter if you are new to blogging or whether you are a veteran, you need to make sure your words makes sense and your spelling and grammar is correct. If you are unsure, have someone you trust read your article with a critical eye and offer editing suggestions to make sure your post is worth reading and sharing by your target audience. All great writers have editors working with them.

Aside from editing your written post, it is also imperative that if you use video as a main component of your blog to have a trusted colleague watch your video before you post it publicly. Is the information on your video accurate? Are there any technical issues? Does it flow properly and tell a story? It is important to share content that is relevant and well made. You only have one chance to make make a positive first impression. Don’t blow it by sharing mediocre content.

We’ve had our site up for 3 years now and it’s still a WIP (work in progress). I’m still learning but there are a few things I know to be true!Be yourself! Write like you talk and in YOUR voice. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. It’s easier to do when you’re blogging about what you love. Find YOUR niche and stand out it in it by being YOU. Be consistent. Give readers a reason to come back! Post frequently when you have GOOD content to share. No posting just to post!

Build relationships! Respond to your readers questions and comments. Take time to interact with readers on your social media networks, like Twitter and Facebook. Visit their blogs and leave a comment.Just get started and GROW as you GO. There will always be more to learn, new tricks, new tools, and something “shiny” you need to have, hold, or install. Just jump in! The magic is in the action! And most of all, HAVE FUN!

My number one tip for new bloggers is to become very active in social media. People are more likely to read and recommend your blog if they feel they know you or something about you. So build online relationships with key people, brands and other bloggers that are involved in your areas of interest. Follow them on Twitter, friend them on Facebook, comment on their posts and participate in their conversations. Every time you do, you are exposing yourself to their audience and letting people know who you are. Don’t just say “Hey, read my new blog”. Social media is SOCIAL so be sociable… and remember to keep your profile up to date

14. “Use the inverted pyramid writing style” – Rachelle Witman

As a new blogger, your goal is to provide quality information that people are searching for. And how you catch their attention is by using an inverted pyramid style of writing.In this style, the most important points of your blog post are stated first. You present your key points and conclusion in the first paragraph. Then, you provide background info and supporting details in subsequent paragraphs.

The 5W’s of Who, What, Where, When, and Why are written in order of importance in your post. The focused data is the point of the pyramid. The rest is to build the base, which includes your personal story, quotes, statistics, and other information that validates you as an expert. Readers often scan rather than read. Therefore, this style caters to your future readers, as you organize your thoughts effectively, and present your key details up front. Writing that engages readers with info-rich content, will entice them to read your whole post, and keep them coming back.

13. “Always be learning”- Steve Woods

Whether you’re a novice blogger or are reading this list because you know most of the writers and tips highlighted here (and just want to be polite), you’ve got room to grow when it comes to sharing via your posts. We all do…

A successful blogger is someone who sneaks a peek at other successful blogs, particularly those that write about similar topics. Sure, you know your audience, but that’s today, and your audience changes as they consume (and produce) content in a shifting landscape. Heed advice and learn to shift with them.Can you tighten up your writing, or simplify yourblog’s layout? Can you learn to incorporate other media along with the typical text and images? If you take your own photos, are you an expert at snapping memorable, moving shots?

Never stop looking for ways to improve on what you know, so you can meet and exceed your readers’ expectations for content. Every awesome blog grew incrementally, along with the skills of its writer. You can do this, too.On top of committing time to blog weekly (or more often if possible), consider dedicating time to reading lists like this, subscribing to blogging improvement sites likePodJam, and perusing trending blog lists likeTechnorati. If time and budget allows, join other earnest bloggers in improvement sessions at blogging conferences likeBlogWorldonce a year. You’ll get the support you need to stay focused and fresh.

12. “Consult with Google Keyword Tools” – TJ McCue

It is not hard to find good topics to write about for your blog or website. Most business owners have an abundance of challenges or products that theythinkcustomers want to know more about. However, the challenge is finding topics that people actually care about and search.Let me explain very candidly â€” we are all victims of the belief that we understand our customers and prospects. It is sometimes true, but most often, we miss the mark by just a tiny amount and our blogs and websites suffer. Search engine results can tell you if you are on target or not for any keyword. Google offers a free tool that is aimed at helping you determine what keywords your audience will click, if you buy an ad on Google also known as Adwords. But that tool, even though it is to help you buy pay-per-click advertisements from Google â€” is also useful for figuring out if people are searching for your topic. You do not have to buy Adwords ads to use the tool â€” just go to the main Adwords page to signup. Once you do, you can get access to a variety of tools, but the one that will help you find the terms that people actually search for is called the Keyword Tool.

It is fairly intuitive to use â€” you enter a word or phrase that you think is the one customers are searching. It will tell you approximately how many and then below that it will suggest other keywords and phrases that have more (or less) search volume.I rarely write an article or blog post without first consulting the Google Keyword Tool.

11. “Don’t be afraid to ask smart questions” – Sara Hawkins

As a new blogger it may seem like everyone else knows what they’re doing and you’re just trying to catch up. It’s difficult to know everything, though, so don’t be afraid to ask smart questions. Social media is social and the number of people who are willing to help will astound you. Social media also gives you access to the insights, tutorials, and thoughts of many who graciously share their knowledge for free. One of the greatest things about blogging is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. By following hashtags, searching for key words or just asking questions on Twitter or Google+, you’ll find that people are willing to help you succeed.Twitter|Facebook|Google Plus|Blog

10. “Make your commenters feel important” – Sarah Robinson

Make your commenters feel like the most important people in the world (even if you only have two). Personally respond to their comments. Engage them in conversation. Connect with them on social media channels.They are the most important people to your blog. Make sure they know you know that.

9. ” Use your voice”- John Lusher

Write as you speak. When you write, make sure you are writing the same way you speak, using your words and your manner of speaking.

Write for one person. To this day I remember what my manager told me when I was a new DJ at a radio station; picture yourself talking to one person, or having a conversation with one person. You want a lot of people to read your blog, but write it as if you were writing for just one person.

Record yourself. Recording yourself talking about the blog topic will help you to write as you speak and can help you avoid writers block. Relax and talk about the topic, then listen back to the recording and write your post!

8. “Don’t rush publishing your post” – Suzanna Keith

Allow several days for each post:

Be sure to give yourself several days for each post. It is always best to sleep on a post before publishing. In the morning you have afresh eye to catch grammar, spelling or even more focused content. Also, extra days give you the time to run the copy by a friend oreagle eye mentor for edits.

7. “Write every post with conviction and authenticity”- Samantha Gluck

The blogging platform represents a great privilege for those who’ve been doing it for years and for those just beginning on the journey. My best advice for newbies is to write every post with conviction and authenticity. Don’t just write to get something out there. There’s an old cliche that gets bandied about among bloggers that says, “content is king”. Phrases become cliches because they’re borne from truth. While you don’t need to write perfect blog posts each time, you’ve got to write good, high quality posts that reflect the message you want to give to the world. It’s better to write one great post every two weeks than to bang out a mediocre collection of words just so you can say you’ve done your weekly or bi-weekly article for your website. Free your mind of all the clutter. Don’t worry about what others think. Let your words flow like a mighty river and change the world. You can do it.

6. “Who is your target audience” – Chris Rauschnot

New bloggers have so many options when it comes to getting the word out. The first step is to figure out who your audience is. Photographers that start a blog will want to feature their work front and center, so integrating with services like Instagram will help to gain followers. People that want to blog about technology should look at doing unboxing videos of products and reach out to companies that have products they want to test. Video blogging has become so necessary today that writing alone is not enough. Follow and engage other top bloggers in your field by retweeting them, repinning their content, write comments on their blogs and ask questions. Next steps would be to visit events in the local area where bloggers meet up. Find blogs that might want to accept a guest blog post to cross promote each other.

Blogging advice? Be yourself! What thrills you? What hobbies or causes can you engage in for hours at time? The subjects you are most passionate about are the things that will help you to generate that same excitement in others. Worry first about discovering and honing your niche and finding others in social media who share your interests. Cultivate relationships via commenting in a meaningful way on other people’s sites. If you find content that is interesting, be generous! Share it on Twitter and Facebook! Be patient; understand that blogging success will not come overnight, enjoy the process and all the great people you’ll come to know along the way.

4. “Add value to your readers”- Monica Villa

Answer this question before every blog post: How can I contribute to my readers today? #addvalue

Blogging is a great way to share information. Use this platform to share information that is helpful to your readers. Not only will you help them grow, but you will also show them you truly value their time. In the long run, taking the extra time to create useful and well written content will not just drive traffic to your site, but will also attract loyal readers and subscribers.

3. “Pay attention to trends”- Carla Young

Pay attention to trends! What topics are your readers enamored with, raging against or curious about? That’s what you need to blog about. But don’t just repeat what everyone else is saying on the topic and have your voice get lost in the mob â€” find your own unique angle and write a post that adds to the discussion. Twitter | Facebook | Google Plus | Blog

2. “It will take time to make real money on your blog”- John Paul Aguiar

Blogging is hard work, and writing content is only half of the work you need to do to be successful. You have to also promote that content, get active in Social Media, build friendships, and learn to make money. Here are some facts you need to know before you start:

You will NOT make any real money by JUST blogging. It will take time to make REAL money with your blog. You need to work hard every day. Knowing all that, my personal advice to newbie bloggers is to know what you really want to blog about before you start.

Once you have a few ideas, choose the one that you have the most knowledge in. This will first make it easier for you to share quality helpful content and second, make it easier for you to write that quality content on a regular basis for the long term. Knowing the truth up front and having a clear idea of what you want to blog about, will help you enjoy and respect the journey and have you seeing results much faster.

1. “You have about 8 seconds to get someone’s attention”- Shelley Kramer

My focus when teaching corporate blogging best practices is that people focus on learning to write for the web, which is likely completely different than any other kind of writing they’re accustomed to. That means learning to write compelling headlines that are under 65 characters, followed by opening paragraphs that incorporate keywords used in the headline and which deliver value, immediately. You’ve got about 8 seconds to get someone’s attention, and if you fail to write a compelling headline and intro, chances are good you’ve lost them. Another pretty critical component of a well-written, well-optimized blog is learning to write optimized, compelling META descriptions that are 160 characters or less. If you master all of these things, you’ll find yourself in good stead when it comes to the writing part of the equation. Then you need to focus on how to distribute your content across the web in the most effective manner. And that, my friends, is a whole different topic!